Steam-boiler and burner therefor.



Patented Oct. 29, l90l. J. H. BULLARD.

STEAM BOILER AND BURNER THEREFOR.

(Applicatidnfiled Feb. 3, 1900.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 685,567. Patented Oct. 29, I90l. J. H. BULLARD.

STEAM BOILER AND BURNER THEREFOR.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1900. (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

7 vwum Wane/owe mifnwm UNITED STATES SATENT FFICE.

JAMES II. BULLARD, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OVERMAN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, OF CIIICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

-STEAM'-BO|LER AND BURNER THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,567, dated October 29, 1901.

Application filed February 3,1900. Serial No. 8,871. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. BULLARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Boilers andBnrners Ther efor,of which the following is a speci fication. I

This invention relates to steam-generators, and has reference especiallyto steam-generators adapted to self-propelling vehicles employing liquid fuel.

The objects of the invention are to provide a steam-generator and liquid-fuelburner therefor especially adapted to automobile vehicles and adapted to perform its functions under all of the many adverse conditions which a steam-generator of an automobile vehicle is subjected to, and to improve the construction of boiler and burner, whereby violent drafts of air may neither extinguish the flame of the burner nor cause it to smoke, and thus reduce the temperature of the flame and cause the steaming efficiency of the boiler to vary.

Still another object is to provide means for effecting the primary ignition of the burner.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the structure, all as set forth in the following specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a portion of a vehicle-body having applied thereto the improved boiler and its burner embodying this invention and which form the subject of this application. Fig. 2 is a plan of the boiler, partly in section, showing relation of tubes and igniting trough to shell and showing two of the suspension-brackets. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the suspension-brackets and connections. Fig. 4: is a sectional detailshowing coupling, which is detached when the heater is removed. 7

In steam-boilers for automobile vehicles the conditions under which they must operate are so difierent from those which prevail when the boiler is stationary that the methods in common use which are adapted to stationary boilers, relating especially to the application of heat to the boiler and to the 'economical production of steam in the boiler and supplying feed-water thereto, are totally inapplicable to automobile vehicles from a practical point of view, from an economical point of view, and from the point of view of efficiency.

The steam-boiler of an automobile vehicle if set up according to the practice in vogue I in setting up a stationary boiler would be so exposed to violent air-drafts as to make it impossible to keep up steam properly or, in

fact, to keep the fuel-burner in operation with any regularity as to volume or quality of heat. The boiler of an automobile, furthermore, must'have great evaporative capacity, which means a large heating area in its flues,

and as the dimensions of the boiler are of necessity limited great heating area means a great number of flues of comparatively small diameter, and these by reason of their small diameter are liable to become foul from carbon deposits unless the control of the flame from theburner is practically perfect, and this cannot be successfullyaccomplished unless the burner is protected against drafts of air, which cause it to flare up suddenly, and

also protect it against air-currents either hung on the outer ends of the radially-disposed supporting-arms 6, secured tojthe vehicle-body in the same vertical plane as the lugs 4 on the supporting-ring 3. From each of the lugs 4 a bolt 7 depends. This bolt has a swinging connection with an eye Sin the lower end of said lugs. These bolts removably engage the ends of short lugs 9 on the shell of the burner 10, and thumb-screws or nuts on said bolts serve to secure said burner tightly against the lower edge of said metal ring 3. l L

The boiler 2 is supported on the upper edge of the ring 3, and this ring serves the double purpose of a support for the boiler and burner, besides constituting the wall of the annular combustion-chamber1l or space between the bottom of the boiler and the top plate of the burner.

The boiler is surrounded by a jacket 12 of some material which is suitable for the purpose of preventing the radiation of heat, and this jacket is held in position by the flanged ribs 13, encircling the boiler and attached thereto at the top and bottom, and the bottom flange rests on the ring 3, the flanged head of the boiler lying entirely within the said ring, whereby without any fastening the boiler is prevented from sliding laterally in any direction.

From the above description it is seen that the boiler and burner are both supported on the arms 6 through the straps 5 and the ring 3.

The upper end of the boiler is covered by a fiat hood let, whereby the products of combustion from the burner are collected and passing through the draft-flue (or chimney) 15 escape to the open air.

Still another source of trouble resides in the burner, which to supply air enough to support combustion in the chamber 11 must be provided with a large number of air-fines 16,and strong air-curren ts passing up through these air-fines affect the flame of the burner quite as disadvantageously as the downdrafts through the flue 15, and hence it is quite as necessary to guard against the ascent of these currents through the burner as to guard against their descent through the draft-fines l5, and to that end a screen or shield 17, preferably of wire-cloth, covers the under side of the burner, as shown in Fig. 1,whereby a suflicient draft of air may be established upward through the burner, but which will absolutely shut out any sudden puifs of air which might affect the flame of the burner unfavorably. This shield is preferably made as shown in the drawings-viz., having a series of concentric rings pressed into it extending from the center to the circumference thereof, whereby a greater area of the perforated material of which the shield is made may be applied under the burner, and thus a suflicient supply of air for the burner be assured. This shield may be applied in any desirable way; but ordinarily a ring is screwed to the under side of the burner by which the edge of the wire-cloth is clamped between said ring and burner. In the drawings this ring is shown as having a depending flange, and both the latter and ti e ring are indicated by the numeral 18. Under certain conditions it is desirable that this depending flange should be applied to the burner, as shown in Fig. 1; but as a rule it is not required. The cup-shaped disk 19 is secured to the inside of the ring, practicallyin the relation thereto shown in Fig. 1, and when the flanged ring is applied to the burner the disk is generally also required. Therefore the two are applied as one piece. The said flanged ring and disk are only required when the wind reaches a very high velocity and are employed for the purpose of preventing a draft of air through the burner in excess of the normal draft. Both the flanged ring and disk are superfluous under normal conditions of travel, however, the screen 17 being all that is required to shield the burner effectively.

From the preceding description of this oonstruction it is seen that the boiler is suspended on the arms 6, secu red to the vehicle-body. The top of the body above the boiler is made removable, to the end that the boiler maybe lifted out bodily therefrom,which may be done after disconnecting the main steam-pipe and the feed-water pipe.

The burner may be removed independently of the boiler by loosening the nuts on the bolts 7 and swinging said bolts outward. The burner in order to permit its removal is not rigidly connected with the end of the vaporizing-pipe, through which it receives its fuelsupply, but connection is made between said burnerand pipe, (the latter beingindicated by 33,) as shown in Fig. 4, viz: The discharge end of said pipe fits closely a hole in the end of the distributing-pipe 34C in the burner, and to remove the latter from the vehicle when the bolts 7 have been disengaged it must be first disengaged from the end of the pipe 33 by a slight sidewise movement.

The burner shown herein forms no part of the present invention, but is the subject of a separate application, filed May 3, 1899, Se rial No. 7l5, l72. It is a hydrocarbon-vapor burner comprising a vapor-chamber 35 of substantially the same form as the bottom of the boiler. Air-fines 16 pass through this chamber, whereby air is supplied to the vapor which issues from the chamber 35 through apertures 36 in the wall of the air-fines 16, near the upper end of the latter. Any other form of burner having the same characteristics as the above-described burner may be employed, or instead of having the apertures 36 through the wall of the burner they may be made through the top plate thereof and arranged around the upper ends of the flues 16, which is like the construction shown in United States Letters Patent to Holland,dated April 10, 1883, numbered 275,382.

Within the combustion-chamber is the pipe 38, which connects the burner with the source of fuel-supply, and the heat of the combustion-chamber vaporizes the liquid hydrocarbon as it passes through this pipe, and said vapor is delivered into the chamber of the burner through the valve 39 (shown only in Fig. 2) and through the short pipe into the distributing-pipe 34.

Another feature of the invention relates to the means for effecting the primary ignition of the burner. This relates properly to the construction as a whole, which has been described herein, said means being adapted to effect the initial volatilization of liquid hydrocarbon contained in a pipe in a closed combustion-chamber between the boiler and the burner and which is incidental to the construction of the boiler and burner arrangement described. The said primary igniting devices comprise a trough 40, lying, preferably, under that part of the fuel-pipe 38 which is nearest the point of entrance of said pipe into the combustion chamber. Said trough preferably has its end nearest the wall of the combustion-chamber curved to one side, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby itmay follow the curve of the pipe 38 and approach close to the wall of the combnstion-chamber, (the ring 3.) A pipe 41 is secured in the side of the vehicle-body and extends therethrough and through the ring 3 into the combustionchamber at a point over the curved end of said trough 40. By means of a compressible bulb having a slender nozzle which may be introduced into the end of the pipe 41 the trough 4.0 may be charged with such a quantity of some volatile combustible, as woodalcohol, as will when ignited give off sufficient heat to cause the volatilization of whatever quantity of liquid hydrocarbon may be permitted to pass through the pipe 38, which is controlled by a suitable valve in said pipe located between the burner and the source of fuel-supply. An opening 42 through the ring 3 permits the introduction of a match or igniter, so that the inflammable material in trough 40 may be lighted. The trough remains with the ring 3 when the burner 10 is removed therefrom. This opening 42 is covered normally by a sheet-metal disk 43, as shown in Fig. 2, hung above it.

Heretofore torches of various kinds have been employed to start the hydrocarbon-vapor burners of the type shown herein, and it has been necessary to have torches of various constructions applied to the burner to effect this primary volatilization necessary to start the burner.

By means of the device shown herein the trough may be filled quickly and in a cleanly way, and a match put into the combustionchamber ignites the combustible substance in the trough.

The hole 42, through which the match is inserted, is easily accessible from the side of the wagon, and fire can be started and steam raised in the boiler under any conditions of Weather, for, if need be, the match need not be ignited till it has been inserted in the combustion-chamber.

Once the alcohol in the igniting-trough has been lighted the flame therefrom will envelop that part of the pipe 38 lying above it undisturbed by any currents of air whatever the conditions of weather may be outside of the combustion-chamber.

WVhen said trough 40 has received the charge of alcohol, the cover 43 to opening 42 may be swung aside and a match introduced to ignite the alcohol in the trough.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination in an automobile vehicle, of a steam-boiler, a burner therefor, a closed combustion-chamber between said boiler and burner supported by the Vehicle, and forming a support from which the boiler or the burner may be independently removed, and a screen near the under side of said burner adapted to exclude puffs of air from the latter while permitting the natural draft of air therethrongh, substantially as described.

2. The combination with'an automobile vehicle, of a metallic ring hung to the vehicle body and forming the combustion-chamber, a cylindrical steam boiler having vertical fines and removably supported on such ring, and a removable burner suspended from said ring and supported thereby, substantially as described.

8. In an automobile vehicle, the combination of aboiler, the hydrocarbon-vapor burner therefor and removable therefrom, a combustion-chamber between said boiler and burner,

and a burner-supply pipe passing through said chamber and remaining in the chamber when the burner is removed, said supply-pipe entering the burner and being adapted to be freely removed therefrom, substantially as described. A

4. In an automobile vehicle, the combination of a boiler and a combustion-chamber hung from supports on the vehicle-body, a burner separately removable from below said chamber, a burner-supply pipe passing through the combustion-chamber, and entering the burner and being adapted to be freely removed from the latter, and a primary ignition-trough in the combustion-chamber, in proximity to the bnrner supply pipe, substantially as described.

5. The combination in an automobile vehicle, of a boiler, a hydrocarbon-vapor burner therefor, a combustion-chamber separating said boiler and burner, the wall of said chamber constituting the support for said boiler and burner and being supported from the vehicle-body; a fuel-supply pipe passing through said chamber and being operatively connected with said burner, the latter being detachably secured to the wall of said combustion-chamber and in separable relation to said feed-pipe, substantially as described.

6. In an automobile vehicle, a boiler, a burner therefor, a boiler and burner-supporting member, suitable connections between the latter and the vehicle-body, rods depending from said member and removably engaging said burner, whereby thelatter'may be removed from said support, substantially as described.

7. In an automobile vehicle, a combustion chamber supported by swinging pendent straps from the vehicle-body, a burner removably connected to the lower part of said combustion-chamber, and a vertical boiler resting in and supported by said combustion-chamber, whereby the boiler, chamber, and burner are permitted to swing, and the burner and boiler are separately removable from the supporting-ring, substantially as described.

8. In combination with the body of an auto- I mobile vehicle, a series of radial support-ingarms secured thereto, metal straps resting on said arms and a ring supported by these straps and forming the combustion-chamber, a boiler movably supported on said ring, and a burner removably connected to and closing the lower edge of said ring, substantially as described.

9. In an automobile vehicle, the combination of an annular combustion-chamber hung from swinging pendent supports on the vehicle-body, of the burner separately removable from said chamber, and the burner-supply pipe having a nozzle entering the end of the distributing-pipe in the burner, and disconnected by the detachment of the burner, substantially as described.

10. In an automobile vehicle, the combination with the vehicle-body having inwardlyprojecting arms, of metallic straps pendent from said arms, a ring forming a combustionchamber supported by said straps, a boiler and a burner separately removable from said ring, a primary ignition-trough within the ring, and an opening in the ring through which the contents of said trough may be ignited substantially as described.

11. In an automobile vehicle, the inwardlyprojecting arms, metallic straps pendent therefrom, a ring having lugs to which said straps are connected, and forming the combustion-chamber, and bolts dependent from the same lugs and engaging lugs projecting from the shell of the burner, all combined substantially as described.

12. In an automobile vehicle, the combination of a boiler, a hydrocarbon-vapor burner therefor, and removable therefrom, a combustion-chamber between said boiler and burner, and a burner-supply pipe passing through said chamber and remaining in the chamber when the burner is removed, said supply-pipe entering the burner and being adapted to be freely removed therefrom; primary ignition devices in the combustionchamber in proximity to said burner-supply pipe, and an opening in the wall of the combustion-chamber near said ignition devices, substantially as described.

JAMES II. BULLARD.

Witnesses:

K. I. CLEMoNs, WM. I-I. CHAPIN. 

